Luca D'Onofrio

Associate Press, 2.20.08

Vincent D'Onofrio's wife delivered the perfect Valentine Day's gift: A new baby.

Luca D'Onofrio was born Feb. 14, Valentine's Day, to the "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" star and his wife, Carin, series spokeswoman Pam Golum told The Associated Press Wednesday.

The baby boy, who weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces, and his mother "are doing great," Golum said.

The couple has a 6-year-old son, Elias. D'Onofrio has a teenage daughter by a previous marriage.

Thanks Linda, Judy, Lynda, Lori, Mauigirl, Jean, Denise, Cari, and Stefanl!

Baby Boy Arrives

as posted by VDO Vault on USA Forums --

"We have the ok from Vincent to share his happy news -- he and Carin welcomed a healthy baby boy yesterday (February 14th, 2008)! They haven't decided on a name yet."

Thanks to Keiko, Denise and Animaltalker

Back to Work with CI Writer Diana Son

NYTimes Video, 2.14.08

A short video clip of LO:CI writer Diana Son following her on the morning of her first day back to work after the strike.

Click here and scroll down the page to the video section and click on first video "Back to Work".

Thank you to Peachybc's husband for this find!

From Picket Lines to Desk Jobs

NY Times, 2.13.08
By Brian Stelter

Weary writers didn’t seem to expect such a precipitous end to the three-month-old strike. “Everybody still has their stray doctor’s appointments and child care issues,” Warren Leight, the executive producer of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” said by phone Wednesday from a production office in midtown Manhattan, where he said staff members were arriving “in various sorts of rain gear.” “People are mustering as quickly as they can,” he said. more
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NY Times, 2.13.08
by Brooks Barnes

-excerpted-
In New York, Warren Leight, the writer-producer of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” was tucking into a delivered lunch with a bustling office filled with writers, producers and researchers. The “Criminal Intent” crew had no scripts banked when work stopped on Nov. 5, so on Wednesday they were just beginning to map out storylines for the next five episodes of the series.

“It’s like putting a harness back on,” he said. “Actually, like putting 10 harnesses back on.” more

Pounding the offbeat

The New Zealand Herald, 2.14.08
By Rebecca Barry

Vincent D'onofrio has a theory as to why his TV character, Detective Bobby Goren, is such a weirdo.

"He's a mess, an absolute mess," he says on the phone from New York. "I think he puts his mind on his work to keep himself sane, even though he's dealing with mostly insane people."

Goren is a pretty intelligent mess, even if fans of Law & Order: Criminal Intent will have noticed he's messier than usual.

What started out on paper as a Sherlock Holmes-type role soon morphed into a man who stares at people, pauses in funny places, cocks his head to the side or erupts in spontaneous anger - mannerisms that suggest he has more in common with a previous role as a psychotic killer in The Cell than a detective.

There are even inklings of Goren's feelings being hurt when people tell him what a "wack job" he is. Full article

Thanks Linda!

WGA MEMBERS VOTE TO END STRIKE!!!

From WGAE.org, 2.13.08

LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK - The membership of the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) today voted overwhelmingly in favor of lifting the restraining order and ending their 100-day strike that began on Nov. 5. 3,775 writers turned out in Los Angeles and New York to cast ballots or fax in proxies, with 92.5% voting in favor of ending the work stoppage.

"The strike is over. Our membership has voted, and writers can go back to work," said Patric M. Verrone, president of the Writers Guild of America, West. "This was not a strike we wanted, but one we had to conduct in order to win jurisdiction and establish appropriate residuals for writing in new media and on the Internet. Those advances now give us a foothold in the digital age. Rather than being shut out of the future of content creation and delivery, writers will lead the way as TV migrates to the Internet and platforms for new media are developed." Full article

Thanks to Linda, Susan, Keiko, Denise, Cari, Amy and Peachy!!!!!
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Variety, 2.12.08
by Dave McNary

"SAG in the hot seat"
Leaders pressured to start talks

Pressure on SAG to reach a settlement on its film-TV contract is reaching a high level of intensity.

Leaders of the Screen Actors Guild are being pushed by high level talent, studios and other unions to defuse fears that actors could mimic writers and go on strike. And a campaign's been gaining steam -- with backing from Ben Affleck, Sally Field, Teri Hatcher and Charlie Sheen -- to impose an earnings requirement for SAG members to vote on whether the guild strikes.

Several top stars are planning on going public with their campaign to persuade SAG leaders to commit to negotiating a deal as early as possible, rather than wait until May or June to start talks. George Clooney voiced such a sentiment at last week's luncheon for Oscar nominees (Daily Variety, Feb. 5).

No talks have been scheduled yet for the SAG-AFTRA contract on feature films and primetime TV, which expires June 30.

The antistrike lobbying efforts kicked into high gear two weeks ago, after SAG president Alan Rosenberg and national exec director Doug Allen went public with their dissatisfaction over the DGA's tentative deal at a time when the WGA was still negotiating its pact with the moguls.
Full article

Thanks Amy!

Friday's WGAE Picket at TimeWarner and CI "Fanwiches"

Strike Vibe- Variety, 2.8.08



...the WGA East drew more than 300 supporters on Friday, including Michael Moore, Tina Fey, Griffin Dunne, Seth Meyers, Rachel Dratch, David Chase, Terry George, Andrew Bergman, Tom Fontana, Warren Leight, Amy Sherman-Palladino and Jerry Coopersmith. more

Also

The LO:CI Writers at the Time Warner picket enjoy "Fanwiches" sent by the USA Network Forum fans from the Hello Deli.

Marygrace O'Shea, Jerome Hairston, Warren Leight, Siobhan Byrne O'Connor, Strike Captain Jackie Reingold, and Diana Son.

Thanks to Denise!

Letter from WGA Presidents to WGA members

From United Hollywood, Sunday, February 3, 2008

Letter From the Presidents - State of Negotiations

This was sent today by WGA Presidents Patric Verrone and Michael Winship to membership:

To Our Fellow Members,

While fully mindful of the continuing media blackout, we write you to address the rumors and reports that undoubtedly you have been hearing.

The facts: we are still in talks and do not yet have a contract. When and if a tentative agreement is reached, the first thing we will do is alert our membership with an e-mail message. Until then, please disregard rumors about either the existence of an agreement or its terms.

Until we have reached an agreement with the AMPTP, it is essential that we continue to show our resolve, solidarity, and strength.

Picketing will resume on Monday. Our leverage at the bargaining table is directly affected by your commitment to our cause. Please continue to show your support on the line. We are all in this together.

Best,

Patric M. Verrone
President, WGAW

Thanks to Marianne C.

CI Scribe Diana Son's play reviewed

Review: 'Satellites' provides pointed social commentary
By Pat Craig
2.1.08


Diana Son shows a frightfully accurate eye for contemporary detail in "Satellites," which opened Thursday in Berkeley's Aurora Theatre as what may be the first melodrama of 21st century urban married life.
Son, whose day job is writing for "Law and Order, Criminal Intent," is herself a young mother living in a Brooklyn brownstone. But no matter how fast-paced her own life, it is probably nothing like the social pressure cooker she's invented for Korean-American architect and mom, Nina (Julie Oda) and the human satellites who orbit around her in what seems to be an ever-tightening noose.

She is currently the sole support of her family, the baby and husband, Miles (Michael Gene Sullivan) a freelance computer guy, who is black and something of a disappointment to Nina's family. Nina's architectural partner, Kit (Ayla Yarkut), is increasingly frustrated by her own life and the fact she's carrying the full load of the business while Nina tends to the baby (but tries to relieve some of the burden by hiring a Korean nanny, Mrs. Chae (Lisa Kang), who actually creates more tension).
more

Thanks to StefanL of majorcase-ci.com

Wet WGA Members Picket Soap Studios

From Multichannel News, 2.1.08
By Linda Moss

Striking Writers Man Manhattan Lines Outside ‘One Life To Live’


Amidst rain and hail Friday, the striking Writers Guild of America East held a “large-scale” picket outside the One Life To Live studios in Manhattan.

More than 125 WGA members manned the lines, and when their picket signs got soaked they wrote their messages on their yellow rain slickers, which became billboards proclaiming the “On Strike” message.

The chant of the day, according to the WGA, was “We’re wet, we’re cold, but we will not fold.”

Tina Fey, Eric Begosian, Vincent D’Onofrio, Katie Erbe and screenwriter Bill Goldman joined the picketers today, as did WGA East president Michael Winship and executive director Mona Mangan. more

Thanks Linda! Thanks to Denise for the photo!

Thanks Denise!